


The Worst Girl In The World (Who Saved Me)

by youknowmyname



Category: Band of Brothers (TV 2001)
Genre: Bad Flirting, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Mutual Pining, Nicknames, Period-Typical Sexism, Teasing, but with those anger issues mofo sounds like a greasy middle school boy, like man thinks he can flirt like a god, yeah lieb has an interesting way of flirting...
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 05:15:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29413245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youknowmyname/pseuds/youknowmyname
Summary: You hated Liebgott and he hated you. It was supposed to be simple-the feeling was mutual. You hated his childish nicknames, the blatant misogyny he threw in your face, and his attractive jawline. Everything about Joe Liebgott made you furious. But little did you know that Joe had much more in common than you originally thought.
Relationships: Joseph Liebgott/Reader, Joseph Liebgott/You
Kudos: 10





	The Worst Girl In The World (Who Saved Me)

**Author's Note:**

> Fem! Reader. I intended this to be a short and sweet birthday gift for myself, but it’s never that simple. After all, what goes better than Joe Liebgott and enemies to lovers? I thought those would mix well. Fair warning, Joe is going to be a MAJOR asshole in the beginning. He’s literally the embodiment of an angry cub bear. Anyways, enough ranting. Enjoy!

The barracks in Toccoa on a weekend were usually full of men, dressed in their PT gear, complaining about having to run up Currahee for another time. You were one of the many who complained-but you weren’t a man. Out of all of the sweaty and lanky men, you were a girl who was barely twenty and overly ambitious. The only woman in a company of a hundred and forty men-plus one woman. 

To say that it was a tough adjustment was an understatement. You had garnered a few side glances, raised eyebrows, and stares that would make you uncomfortable. Whenever Sobel had come by to casually insult you, there was a heavier tint of venom in his words. On the treacherous workouts, you would always be the last one. You despised the way the men looked at you like you were some helpless little lamb. The hushed whispers and glances didn’t make you feel any better. 

But with time, things had progressively gotten better. It was Carwood Lipton, who the comedian George Luz had nicknamed “mother hen”, who approached you in the dining hall, sitting in a corner as you read a book. From that point on, Toccoa had become a little more durable. The company treated you like it’s little sister, nicknaming your “little lady” (curtsey of Bull). You began to endure Webster, you became your first friends, insert in the books you read, Talbert’s flirting, Shifty talking to you about the horses he had back in Virginia, Roman mythology from the somewhat intimidating Speirs, and so many more encounters. They were finally treating you like an equal. You felt welcomed and further progressed, finally feeling like fit in with the men. 

All except Liebgott. 

You didn’t hate him, but you certainly weren’t fond of him. In the beginning, he’d give you all kinds of stares. Whenever you’d look over, he’d just scowl and say something crude under his breath. Webster, who you considered a close friend, had told thousands of horrible encounters with the Jewish man. Whenever Webster would hear you mention his name, he’d roll his eyes and let out a long groan. You knew Webster had a tendency to be a little provoking, but he was bullied by Liebgott. He’d steal Webster’s books, call him “college boy”, “daddy’s money” and “sharky boy”, and constantly harass him for being friends with a girl. 

\--------

_“He sounds immature,” You shrugged as you took a sip of your water. “I’d just ignore him.”_

_“Ignore him? Ignore? y/n, it’s nothing like that,” Webster ran a hand through his unruly chocolate curls before leaning on the table, “He hates anything I do. God forbid If I breathe in his direction he rolls up his shelves and asks if there is a problem. Oh, y/n, what should I do?”_

_“David,” You put a comforting hand on his shoulder, giving it a small pat. Webster was the type of guy friend you could introduce to your friends without him flirting with any of them. He actually had some common sense and maturity unlike some of the men in the company. “I haven’t talked to him personally, but If I were in your shoes, I’d ignore him. He’s probably insecure and needs to feel like he’s some big dog. I mean honestly, he’s kinda scrawny-”_

_A skinny hand in oversized OT gear slammed right into the table, shaking the full glasses and plates. Webster looked up and jumped in his seat, scooting over. You looked up and saw none other than Liebgott with an unimpressed scowl that you wanted to smack off of his stupid face._

_His stupidly attractive face._

_“Well well well, look at what we have here. If it isn’t shark boy,” Liebgott said as he looked at Webster, before snapping to look down at you. His ankle bruised against the side of your thigh as you sat, making your feet curl up. “And little miss princess ‘ere.”_

_You pointed at the name tag, sewn into the pocket of your ODM Gear that was two sizes too big. “I have a name, it’s y/l/n. A pleasure to meet you.”_

_“Whatever, girlie.” Liebgott shrugged off, sliding onto the wooden bench right next to you. It took you by surprise, and you gladly moved a whole six feet over._

_The dark-haired man grabbed your fork and took a piece of broccoli over from Webster’s plate, taking a large bite out of the top. Webster, instead of saying anything, just shook his head with his arms in the air._

_“Anyways, what are you two ladies talking about? Hair? Makeup? Boys? How college boy thinks he’s better than everybody else?” Liebgott gave Webster a wink before looking at you, hiding a straight hand in front of his lip. “I know Webbie’s gotta’ crush on a few of the guys…”_

_You grabbed the fork out of his hand and pointed in Liebgott’s face from a distance. “Actually, we were talking about how you’re an asshole with the maturity level of a middle schooler. My brother is younger than you and he has more manners than you. Oh, and a filter too.”_

_A few men of the company looked over at you, crossing your arms as you looked at a stumped Liebgott. He read the room, seeing the men with their eyes glued onto the actions, letting out “oh’s” and whispering little things. Even the mess hall had taken a break from cooking to look over at the upcoming disaster._

_“Oh, so you wanna get mean with me?” Liebgott smirked. You could tell in his eyes that he was nervous. Nobody had talked back to him, especially you. “What am I supposed to be, scared of a woman?”_

_You moved up closer to him and straightened up your posture to assert your confidence. It was just like standing up to bully, nothing more than that._

_But upclose, with a stubborn dark curl gracefully hanging across his forehead and a sly smirk, it was hard to restrain your cheeks from turning a pink shade of peach._

_“Yes, infact, I do wanna get mean with you. I’ve got a list of problems with you. I’ll start with the most obvious,” You snapped back. “You have this facade where you act all tough and nasty since you don’t anybody see what you truly are, a tiny man with big insecurities. What do you have to say to that?”_

_A roar of laughter emerged from the dining hall. You knew Penkala, Skip, and Malarkey would stroll by your bed and ask you to dramatically encite the tale of how you destroyed Liebgott’s ego with six words._

_Liebgott licked his lips as he looked around the room. You saw the nervousness in his eyes and the way he muttered an unintelligible curse under his lip pink lips._

_“Oh yeah? Well how about you and your boyfriend get a room over here?” Liebgott responded back, not earning the attention you had for your clever response. “Besides...he might be a little, yah know, happy. A little too happy.”_

_“Oh grow up!” You rolled your eyes, “You aren’t answering my question. What do you have to say about being a schoolyard bully?”_

_Webster let out an “oh yeah!” as a way to cheer you on. The next minute, someone threw an empty milk marten at his head. It was definitely Toye. With all due respect, someone needed to handle it._

_“A bully? Oh please. Can you of a better insult in that little brain of yours?” Liebgott complained as he turned over to get up, giving you a nasty side glance. “I forgot, women aren’t funny. The two of you girls aren’t any fun, i’m outta ‘ere.”_

_Liebgott sighed and got up, walking to go back with his buddies. Webster tried to hold you back, but you were sick of it. Sick of his hatred, his words, his cruelty, his misgongsy, his stupid face that you found attractive. It was embarrassing that you found Liebgott extremely attractive with his glorious head of hair and the sharpness of his jawline, just not when he opened his mouth._

_You got off the bench and trailed after him. He looked back and sighed, placing his hands on the hips. You and Liebgott were like gladiators in a colosseum, awaiting for a conflict to begin. Well, it already had begun, but it was only the start of an intense battle._

_“Come on, princess. Everybody’s waitin’ for you to say something.” Liebgott teased, raising his thin eyebrows. You stood there, biting your lip as you tried to think of another clever response. With everyone’s eyes on you, it made you freeze._

_“She’s like this on her first date-like she’s ever been on any.” He tempted, which earned a long “oh” from the men. You could have sworn you had heard Guarnere’s voice, yelling “this is how hurricanes form!”_

_“Well...you…” You put up a finger, falling short on your words. It was painful that he was right. It was mean, and it definitely hurt your feelings. You looked to the side, tears stinging in your eyes. Webster saw you look away and had felt your pain too. “Um…”  
  
_

_Liebgott let out a fake yawn and rolled up his sleeve, looking down at his bland wrist. “Anytime of the day..” You refused to look in his eyes as you looked to the side, holding back tears as you thought of a response. Your mind was clouded with thoughts as the insecurities grew onto you. He let out a scoff as he turned his back, muttering under his breath. “Go back to the kitchen…”_

_You lifted up your head, hearing the misogynistic comment. Liebgott kept walking forward. Getting up and sniffling, you once again stormed after him._

_“The toolbox is upset because he has a small wench.” You sassed. All of the men we’re now looking at you, smirking and whispering. Liebgott stopped and turned on his heel with a face that was growing with anger._

_‘What did you say?”_

_You cleared your throat to make sure everybody heard, “The toolbox is upset because he has a small wench.”_

_Like Liebgott had done before, you walked away with a smirk as the guys cheered on you. Just as you were about to sit back down, you felt a sticky and cold compress on the back of your hair. Throwing yourself back, you saw Joe, holding a plate that was slopping to the ground. He, like a child, just threw food at you at retaliation._

_It was childish, but you stormed over and grabbed a handful of potatoes off of Talbert’s plate (who was very upset at his potatoes being stolen) and threw a load into Liebgott’s face. The next few minutes were full of food, yelling, and the men of easy company holding you both back from killing each other. Sergeant Evans, nicknamed “Sobel’s bitch”, witnessed the event and fetched the drill insertcursor. Usually Sobel was loud, but upon seeing a mess in the dining hall and food everywhere, he was livid. You and Liebgott had both of your weekend passes revoked for a month, told to clean up the entire mess hall still covered in food, and then to run up Currahee in the blistering heat with no shower._

_The two of you definitely didn’t like each other._

_Liebgott never called you by your name. Ever. You knew he was doing it just to annoy you-in which he succeeded at._

_When you were mopping the floors, Liebgott would walk by you and spill a little of the plate’s remnants onto the ground._

_“You missed a spot, girlie.” He’d smirk as you would groan, wiping up the mess he had left behind. You made sure to not wipe the food off the plates he was washing as petty payback._

_When, in the blistering heat, as the two of you climbed up the infamous hill, he’d attempt to run in front of you for you only to beat him._

_Liebgott would rush up right next you as your shoulders bumped against your shoulder._

_“Feeling’ tired yet, princess? Need someone to carry you?”_

_You looked off and ran ahead of him, ignoring his comments. You repeated it in your head-he just wanted to get a rise out of you._

_Still, Liebgott persisted. Reaching the beginning of the steep hill, you began to run with a hunched back. You could hear Liebgott, cursing under his breath as he kept sliding down the hill. As you reached the top, you waited for him to meet you._

_“You know, according to science, if you don’t talk much you run faster,” You commented with the same smirk Liebgott had in the mess hall._

_Liebgott put his hands on his knees as he heavily painted. He looked up with his black curls resting on his forehead. “Men are stronger than women.”_

_You looked at him an unimpressed face, “Yeah, keep tellin’ yourself that one. I’m sure woman love you.”_

_“I mean, who doesn’t?” Liebgott remarked._

_You couldn’t tell if he was actually being serious or not. As much as you hated the way he walked to you, a tiny part of you liked his face. But it didn’t change the fact that he was a total asshole._

_Right?_

_“Besides, I’m sure you tell that to every guy you go on a date with. Oh, wait. Nevermind.” Liebgott looked at you, shrugging his shoulders. He really knew where it hurt the most._

_You looked away before shaking your head and turning back to him, eyebrows furrowed. “Fine, let’s prove it then.”_

_“Prove what?”_

_“Who’s the strongest. The last one down Currahee proves which sex is weaker.”_

_Liebgott looked at you and licked the sweat off of his lower lip with his tongue. “Pretty sure you’re looking at the stronger one here,” He griped._

_“You sound a lot like a sore loser,” You commented as you stretched your legs, “What’s the matter? Afraid you’ll lose to a girl?”_

_“Yeah, yeah, shiver me fucking timbers.” Liebgott groused, “I’m not afraid of losing to you, I just know I’m not gonna lose to you, princess. See the difference?”_

_“Same difference!” You walked right in front of him with a sing-song voice. Two could play this game. Your slow pace began to pick up as you began your ascent towards the bottom. “The last one down Currahee isn’t a paratrooper, chicken legs.”_

_“Chicken Legs?” Liebgott chided as he sprinted beside you, but you picked up your pace. “Oh, it’s on girlie. Jus’ you wait.”_

_Fifteen minutes lanter, you walked back into the barracks, covered in sweat and bug bites all over your legs. The men looked up at you. Some of them had their eyes on the door, looking for Liebgott, and others on you._

_“Y/n, where’s Lieb?” Malarkey asked as he sat on his bed, shuffling the cards between Skip and Penkala._

_Walking onto your bunk, you sat down and were about to explain before the wooden door slammed open. Everyone turned their heads to see Liebgott storm in, looking a mixture of angry and humiliated._

_You noticed him and sat on the bed with your legs crossed with a shit eating grin, “Well, speak of the devil, here he is. How was the three miles down, Joseph?”_

_“You!” He yelled, pointing his finger in your face, “you know you what you did! You cheated!”_

_You recalled your little conversation on top of the mountain. Shaking your head, you sighed, “Remember, facts over fiction? That’s what I’m talking about.” You checked out your nails, jagged and filled with dirt. “It’s pretty hard to beat science with that.”_

_“You're the worst girl in the world, you know that?” Liebgott snapped, “Thinking you’re better than everybody else and always yappin’ that damn mouth of yours.”_

_“Oh, please. Is that the best you got?” You bantered, “And you're just a little boy trapped in, well allegedly, a man’s body, throwing a temper tantrum over a girl who beat him in a race? Oh please, If I can beat you in running I know I could wipe that stupid smirk off of your face with my fis-“_

_You didn’t even realize how close you and Liebgott were to each other. You could see the setting sun sparkle in his dark chocolate eyes which appeared caramel in the light and the sweat making his skin glow. Each of you could feel and hear the heavy breaths._

_Carwood stepped in between you, giving you distance like a teacher at a middle school dance. “Alrighty, you two. I think you’ve both caused enough trouble today. How about you guys just return to your bunks and maybe not speak to each other for the rest of the day? How does that sound?”_

_“Fine.” You held back a sigh as you turned to grab your supplies for a shower-after all sweat, food, and bug bites were all over your skin._

_“Fine,” Liebgott jeered as he turned around, cursing loudly under his breath, “She ruins everything…”_

_Your head snapped back as you yelled, “At Least I don’t throw food into girl’s hair!”_

_“Oh yeah? Least I’ve had a relationship-and not with some book.”_

_Webster saw Liebgott walk up his bed. Putting down his book, he put up a finger to explain his point. “Joe, you're letting your hubris get the better of you. In the Odyssey, Homer thinks too highly of himself which results in destruction to others and-“_

_“Shut up Webster!” The two of you yelled in unison before turning to each other to resume your bickering._

_On the other side of the barracks, Malarkey and his friends Skip and Penkala were playing a round of Go Fish, cigarettes in their mouths._

_Malarkey looked over at the scene before drawing a card, “So, when do you think the wedding will be?”_

_Penkala furrowed an eyebrow, “You’re shitting me, right Malark? Have you seen those two? They wanna kill each other!”_

_“Oh please, Penk. Have you ever watched a good movie? That’s how most people fall in love,” Skip chimed in as he looked over to see Liebgott, slugging his shoulder as you once again rolled your eyes, “Through hate. I mean, look at those lovebirds! One of them definitely has a crush on eachother.”_

_“I don’t know,” Penkala put down his match, “I feel like they’d kill each other if they were married.”_

_“They argue like an old married couple. I mean, can you imagine what it would be like if they slept together?”_

_Malarkey and Penkala looked at Skip, cringing, “What? Gross!”_

_“Oh c’mon!” Skip insisted, “Mark my words.”_

————

Glossing through the pages of Nineteen Eighty-Four, you were finding it hard to pay attention to the words. No matter how many times you adjusted on your brick like bed, you couldn’t think straight. Your head was empty, full of thoughts of Liebgott. You had been thinking about him more than usual. Ever since the “the worst girl in the world” incident, the two of you barely conversed. It would be tiny side glances and awkward walk by where you would keep your eyes forward, ignoring him at all costs. 

While the men were out on their weekend passes (a shock), you decided to hang back and read in the barracks. It was a rainy day and you didn’t want to go back soaking wet, so some quiet time doing your favourite hobby was ideal. 

Shifty had also stayed back, one of the few men who were spread out in the barracks, smoking cigarettes or conversing among each other. 

“Y/n, whatcha’ doin here?’ The virginian asked in his sweet voice, “Don’t you finally have a weekend pass?” 

You looked up from your book and placed the bookmark inside of it, “I do, just’ didn’t feel like going’ out today. I find being by myself is something that can keep me entertained.” 

Shifty flashed a white smile as he went back to writing his letter, the pencil at the tip of his lower lip. “I getcha’. I’d go shootin if it we’re so darn stormy out…” Moving the pencil between his fingers, he turned to look from his paper to you, “I do miss those pastries from town though…” 

“You mean those cannolis? The one with the-”

In unison the two of you said, “The mint chocolate?” 

“Shifty, you’re makin’ my mouth water!” You sighed, tilting your head back. You had gone into town a few times, but there was a small cafe. Instead of going to the bar, you’d head by the small cafe, buy a coffee and cannoli, and sit by the window as you dug your nose into a book. Webster would join you, and even Shifty at times, but you enjoyed those small moments of peace. “You’re lucky I like you.”

Shifty did a cute boyish giggle, “I prefer going’ there instead of ‘dat stuffy bar.” 

“Oh, anything I would do for a cannoli right now…” You sighed as you reopened your book to take your bookmark out. Maybe reading would stop you from fantasizing about Cannoli’s and Liebgott. Maybe if he was sweet, just like Cannoli’s. 

The quiet barracks were soon full of the easy company men, dressed in their finest outfits, drunkenly singing as they stumbled in. You shrugged this off casually and resumed reading your book, getting lost in the intricate plot of a dystopian future. 

You didn’t even notice the combat boots, each noise getting louder as they creaked against the floor. Being too distracted by the plot, you didn’t hear the snickers and whispers of the men surrounding you. You only looked up when you saw lanky fingers curved on top of your book and gently snatched it away. 

Furrowing your eyebrows, you looked up to see who had taken your book away, especially in the best part. 

Of course, it was him. With his dark hair slicked back and dressed in his best clothes-Joe Liebgott in all of his glory. He held the book like a toddler with a baby, but held it upside down as he scanned the pages. 

Sighing, you got off of the bed and walked over to snatch it away, “Lieb, can I have my book back? Please?” You politely asked, a minute away from snapping. 

Liebgott only held up the book higher, it up to read the words and tease you. Both of you were short, but being a few inches taller did have it’s advantages. 

“Settle down, princess.” He casually swatted his hand as he lowered his hand with the book, “How can you read this thing? There’s no pictures.”

Seeing an advantage, you slid your hand and grabbed your book back, holding it to your chest. “Some people use their brains and imagination,” You put a finger on your temple and patted it, “But I guess you’d never know.” 

Tab looked over and groaned at Shifty, “For the love of god, not these two.” 

Liebgott let out a chuckle and put a hand around your shoulder, throwing the book onto the bed. “Listen, you gotta get your head outta’ those books for once. Don’t wanna end up like you know who…” He nudged his head back at Webster, who was already busy annoying Perconte about Sharks. “And focus on important things…” 

“Like what?” You said with an unamused face. 

Liebgott didn’t vocally respond, but brushed against your shoulder like a smirk. “You’re looking right at him, Liebling.” 

What the hell was Liebling? It sounded something derogatory. I mean, according to the small view of Joe Liegott, you were the worst girl in the world. Letting out a huff, you removed his arm to walk back to your bed. He was trying to poke the bear once again. The main reason you walked away was because of the lump in the throat and heat growing on your cheeks. He had his hand lazily relaxed on your shoulder, his knuckles gliding against your upper arm. 

As you got back to your bed, you could hear Liebgott walk behind you. Looking right into his face, you put on a sarcastic and annoyed smirk. “Oh. You are positively primeval, Lieb.” 

Liebgott had no idea what the world had meant. Just like you had before, he assumed it was your way of flirting. He really did think you were the worst girl in the world-the way you always subtly sassed back Sobel, talked endlessly about the books you had read and wanted to become a journalist with a gleaming smile, when take your hair from it’s small ponytail or braid and let it slowly fall from it’s form and spread against your shoulders and he would sit in his bunk as he watched every second of it-he despised every little thing about you. Every comment he made towards you, whether it be subtle or obvious, was always met with your (y/e/c) rolling far back into your head or a sassy remark. No matter what he said, you never fell head over heels. Who did you think you were? You truly were the worst girl in the world. 

And that’s why Liebgott liked you so much. 

“Thanks princess,” He acknowledged, loud and proud. “You know what they say. The hardest ones to catch are the sweetest prey. That’s what my pa told my ma, so father like son…” 

The line made you do two things. The first was scrunch up to your face as chills traveled up your spine. Another emotion, you had no idea what it was, but his raspy voice made your heart go insane. It beat rapidly in your chest as you looked away, looking to hide away in your book. 

“Please, take a hint.” You shook the book in your hand. “I’ve got a date that’s far more interesting than this.” 

“Fine, I’ll leave you and that dictionary in your little bed. But jus’ sayin,” He gave you a wink and one sided smirk, “You can’t take the fun out of a game. It’s a one I can play well too.”

You peered up from your book, letting out a dry chuckle. “You keep tellin’ yourself that one. It’ll getcha places.” 

“Will do, sweetheart. Always have, always do.” Liebgott took a few steps back to take in the view. The OD’s were oversized on you. It made you appear bigger, but underneath was a totally different person. He loved every curve, every roll, every mole and pimple on your skin. You were cuddled up on the bed, knees tucked in as your eyes gleamed the boom, a few stray pieces falling from your ponytail. 

He bit his lip, wanting to say another witty comment to get your attention. But he couldn’t stop staring at the beauty in front of his eyes. He loved seeing you in your moment. Taking slow steps back, he turned away and gave a death glare to any man who dared to tease him. 

Malarkly, Skip, and Penkala were playing their usual game of cards and cigarettes. They too, had witnessed the showdown and aggressive flirting between you two. 

“I told you guys so!” Malarkly insisted as he drew a card.

“Look at those lovebirds. Did you see what I saw at the bar?” Skip whispered, putting down a match 

“No, what?” Penkala questioned with eyes full of curiosity. 

Skip made sure nobody was listening before telling his tale. “Well, I saw Liebgott go right up to Webster and ask him something. I couldn’t hear it, but then he just...left the bar.” 

“What?” 

“Why?” 

“I think I figured it out. Just watch and see, fellas.” 

You occasionally peered to look in front of you. Taking a break from your book, you saw a brown bag nestled on the edge of your bed. The last person to be near your bed was liebgott. Sighing, you put your book down to grab the bag and find Lieb. Just as you were about to grab Liebgott, you noticed a mint smell from the bag. Your curiosity had gotten the better of you as you peered in the bag to see what it was. 

Of course, it was a canoli. Two mint chocolate chip one, your favourite from the little cafe. 

You looked up, and back into the bag, and then up once again at Liebgott, casually smoking a cigarette in his OD’s with his messy, voluminous hair. 

That damn, pretty bastard of a man. 

—————

You and Liebgott had become friends, at least that’s what you believed. He would follow you around, always wanting to engage in conversation with you. You were annoyed with this semi-aggressive attempt at flirting, but it was better than being belittled by him. Still, he never used your real name once. Not even your last name. It was either sweetheart, princess, girly, and Liebling (which you never understood). When Easy had finally earned their jump wings, instead of singing with the boys, you and Liebgott retreated to a small corner of the bar. He let down his asshole persona and told you a lot about himself. He was from Michigan but his family had moved to San Francisco, he drove a cab and cut hair for fifteen cents, and that his favourite food was Hershey bars. 

You let your guard down and talked about your family, your town, your mundane life before the war. It was nothing interesting, short and sweet at best. While you loved talking to Liebgott, something pained you. You hadn’t felt it in months, but now, with a jump scheduled soon, it was back to haunt you. It flashed between your eyes; your parents smiling, the smell of a hot meal, the fresh smell of your library, you missed it. But what if you never saw it again? The future was unknown. 

The two of you stood on a porch outside of the bar, overlooking the forest as Lieb’s cigarette smoke filled the area. You looked over at him, the moon illuminating off of his clean skin and gelled back hair. Still, a piece stubbornly hung loose. He held a glass low in his hands, shaking around the bourbon and ice.

“Joe?” You interrupted the peaceful silence as you took a cigarette out of your mouth, smoke emerging from your nose. You never called him by his real name-you didn’t know what compelled you to do so.

He looked over, “Yeah?” 

“What would be your last thought before you die?”

Joe had a puzzled expression, shrugging his shoulders, “Nothing.” 

“Why nothing? What about your family, parents, your Zaydee?” 

“Because I ain’t gonna die.” Joe said, choking on his last words. He could hide it as much as he wanted, but he even knew that death was inevitable. It was bound to come to him any waking second. “And neither are you, princess. I know that.” 

“You know we can’t sugarcoat this. This is war. It leaves no man behind.” You protested as you looked down, “I wanna live. I don’t wanna die, but if I do...then I will.” 

“Why would you say that shit? Look at me,” He grabbed your free hands, turning you over to him. “Promise me somethin’.” 

“I can’t.” As you shook your head, “Joe, you know we can’t-”

“I don’t give a damn. Promise me that once you get out of that plane, you’ll stay alive. Fight. Survive.” 

“I will. I jus-”

“Stay alive, for me. For you. For us. Please.” 

Liebgott held your tinier hands in his bigger ones. You looked down at his hands, holding yours as tightly as a child would with a stuffed animal. After two years of nasty nicknames and sexist comments, the two of you had gone slowly from enemies to acquaintances to pals. Good pals at that. It was just pal’s, right? In Liebgott’s eyes, you were the worst girl in the world. But now, in the moonlight, you were the most beautiful girl in the world. 

You looked down as you bit your lower lip. Looking into his chocolate eyes would only drive you to tears. He was silently demanding a response from you. He wanted the one, three lettered word-yes. 

But you couldn’t bring yourself to say it. 

“Don’t do this to me,” You begged as you removed your hands to turn to look at the moon.

“Do what?” Liebgott asked as he followed behind you. 

“Don’t act like an infant. You know why.” In that moment, you saw Liebgott’s face. He had the expression of bewilderment and heartbreak. He wasn’t comprehending anything you were saying. Maybe you didn’t have to sugarcoat it and in that moment, in the moonlight with his hand grasped around your wrist, you were finding it hard to say it, but it had to be done. It was for the better. 

“Listen, whatever is happening between us, it ca-”

The intimate moment you and Liebgott shared as interrupted by Webster, who just emerged from a room full of dancing and cheerful swing music. You jumped in place, startled by his appearance. Blinking, you walked towards Webster as Lieb tried to hold you back, but you shook him off with his fingers lingering for you to stay. 

“Webster, funny seeing you here.” You awkwardly stated as you looked back, “What’s going’ on in there?” 

“A dance off. Tab’s been dancing with every girl in the bar, and he’s looking for you. He said he’s not gonna rest until he dances with you tonight,” David chuckled, a blush growing on his cheeks. 

“Oh,” You remarked, “Well, tell him good luck because It’ll take him ages before he does so,” 

Just as you began to walk out, David called your name, which caught your attention. Liebgott looked at Webster with an annoyed face. 

“Y/N?”

“Yes?”

“I...wow. This is hard,” David took a deep inhale before looking at you, fiddling with his fingers, “Listen, I came because I was wondering if you would wanna be my partner. I mean, only as friends. If you don’t want to, I totally understand.”

“Oh, David.” You put a hand on your chest as you flashed a subtle smile, “I think I was actually gonna-”

“Accept my offer,” Liebgott interjected as he bumped shoulders with Webster before grabbing your hand, dragging you along with him. “Sorry Web, you snooze, you lose.”

You looked back at Webster, who looked saddened. You made sure to shoot him a sympathetic look before being dragged into the loud room. Liebgott scowled as he looked forward, dragging you among the crowds. 

“What the hell?” You snarled as you tried to step back, but Liebgott gently pushed you forward. “I didn’t even say yes to your offer? What offer is it? If you want someone in bed, then find some other girl. I’m not her.”

“I don’t want that bullshit, y/n. I’m not that kind of man.” He announced as the two of you stopped, his grasp loosening on your wrist. “I wanted to dance with you, just once. This is the only time we’ll ever get to do this. I know you don’t want anything’, I get it. Better to not get attached, even though it’s hard but just...gimme one dance, and I won’t pester you anymore.” 

You saw Tab in the back as he swooned another girl to be his dance partner. You looked back at Liebgott as you thought about it. Once dance, one night, one time. 

“One? As a friend?” You let out a defeated sigh. 

“Oh, come now. Don’t be the worst girl in the world,” Liebgott smirked as he kissed your hand, leaving a mark on your manicured hand. “Du gehörst mir heute Abend, Liebling”.

You shook your head, putting on a smile of defeat as you approached the dance floor. “You never have told me what that means. Will you tell me?”

“Now where’s the fun in that, girlie?” Liebgott offered his hand. 

“I’ve never danced,” Your hand lingerd towards his as you hesitated. Inhaling and exhaling, you placed your hand once again into his. 

He snaked a hand on the small of your waist, pulling you close as your noses brushed against each other. 

“Then Let me do the work. Just sit there and be my eye candy? Kay?” 

Before you could protest, the music began. Liebgott spun you around. It was making you dizzy, the spinning and loud sounds. It turned out that Liebgott could really dance. You had never danced before in public, only in the comfort of your bedroom. But at that moment, you didn’t think about the future. You only thought about the smiles, the laughter, Lieb’s hands all over your body. 

You danced with Liebgott throughout the night as your final bid to civilization and life. 

Oh, how you were going to miss your ignorant bliss. 

\----------

The dreaded day had come and gone by. It was now the early hours of the morning. The buildings in your assigned objective were partially destroyed, the rank and sweet burning smell of flesh all around. You sat on a rock, away from the groups of incoming men, with thousands still missing. As you smoked your way through a pack of cigarettes, you looked down at your worked hands, covered in blood and nails jagged with dirt. 

However, through the blood and sweat, a cold gold necklace laid in your hands. It was a beautiful, victorian root-beer stained pendant with crystals. It was simplistic, yet regal. It was such a gorgeous thing to find in the midst of a war. Whenever you looked at it, you thought of Liebgott. The memories of your trek had come back. 

You had landed near Sainte-Mere-Eglise, which was far away from where the hell you had landed. Amidst the explosions and fires, you had landed in the middle of a field, far from civilization. Upon hearing German voices, you scrambled off like a chicken with it’s head chopped off. Cold, alone, and afraid, you walked through the dark forest with only a small Ka-bar to defend yourself. 

And so you walked through the night, a ka-bar clutched in one hand and another a damp map, stomping through the dirt as you prayed for a miracle to happen. 

The miracle that occurred was Joe Liebgott, whom you had nearly stabbed. It was a relief to see someone that you knew. He hadn’t landed too far from you, and like you, was stranded alone. And so the two of you paid together as you lead the way, mere hours from your destination. Being only the two of you, there was an element of Joe you had never seen. He was his usual angry self, but he was more stubborn than usual. He insisted that you walked behind him the whole entire and let him take the lead. 

As the two of you ventured, you were caught off guard by a few Kraut soldiers. There were two of you and three of them. Liebgott had a rifle and managed to take down the first two, and you attempted to deal with the other. However, he was built like Bull, but even larger. This Kraut had overpowered you and smashed you to the ground as you felt immobilized, smacking the Ka-bar out of your hands. You saw spots of white in your eye as he stood on top of you, his burly hands wrapped around your neck. You tried to fight and push him off, but you couldn’t, the darkness was submerging you as you gave up the fight. 

Once you had awakened, you took a large breath as you looked up. The sky was clear as the dark shadows of the trees surrounded you. Looking to your right, you were next to the two bodies of Krauts, bloodied and covered in bullets. Looking to your left, you saw Liebgott, screaming on top of a soldier. You could hear the squish and cutting from his bayonet entering a Kraut’s soldier body. 

“Du dreckiger verdammter Kraut. Wie verdammt kannst du es wagen. Verdammter Abschaum der Erde. Das gefällt dir nicht? Glaubst du, das hat ihr gefallen? Glaubst du, du mein Volk magst das? Verdammter Schrei, alles was du willst, ich möchte, dass du an deinem eigenen Blut erstickt.”

You backed up against a tree as you threw your helmet back on, checking yourself for any injuries. Liebgott had finished his screaming rant. He turned back to you, his face and hands covered in splatters of blood. Dropping his bayonet, he began his trek towards you. You pushed yourself up from the tree as you let out a dry cough. 

“I’m fine. He jus’ choked me.” 

Liebgott didn’t use his words and instead pulled your body into his. “Es tut mir leid, dass ich dich nicht vor ihm beschützen konnte, Mädchen. Es tut mir leid, dass er dich verletzt hat.”

You were a little taken back by the sudden embrace, and words of German that you didn’t understand. You patted his back and cleared through throat. 

“I..don’t know what you’re saying. Um…” You pushed back from the hug, as much as you wanted to stay. “Let’s find...ammo and guns. Y’know, if it happens again.” 

As you began to walk off to scavenge the first two soldiers, Liebgott followed behind you. You stopped in place and let out a frustrated sigh.

“Alone. I’m fine.” 

He grumbled and headed towards the larger shoulder. After the two of you had found some spare bayonets and a flashlight, Liebgott had also scrapped up a pendant. When he had brought it to you at first, you were a little lost. 

“Who is that for?” You asked as you walked down the road. Liebgott had been dead silent since the ordeal with the Krauts. 

He looked towards you as he stopped in his tracks, “You.” 

“Pardon?” 

Liebgott unclasped the necklace and moved his hand behind your neck, clasping it on. 

“Liebgott,’ You insisted, putting your hands on his wrists, “This isn’t the time.” 

“Too late, it’s on.” He announced as he slowly removed his hands, “‘s nice on you.” His fingers grazed on your neck, which was slowly bruising. 

“I’m sorry, by the way.” 

“For what. Listen, I’m fine. You’re fine? Let’s just get to where we're going. Okay? It’s only three more hours.” 

Liebgott gave you a subtle smirk as the two of you continued down the road in dead silence. He looked over at you a few times to see that you would limp. You refused to tell him that while jumping, you had gotten caught in a tree. Not wanting to choke, you cut yourself down and landed on your left foot. You couldn’t tell if it was broken or twisted, but it didn’t matter if you could walk. 

Seeing this and not getting an answer, Liebgott did the best thing he did. He swapped you up without surprise and carried you for two hours of the way. You kicked and protested, but he stayed silent, only speaking to tease you. As much as you wanted to walk, your eyes grew weary. And so you rested for an hour as Liebgott carried you. The last hour you managed to hop along with the support of Lieb, finally arriving at your objective. 

And there you sat, the necklace fidgeting in your hands. 

Looking down at the necklace in your hands, you could see Liebgott’s bloodied boots in your vision. You still looked down at the necklace, crunching it in your hands. 

“Drink,” Liebgott commanded with a little push, forwarding a mug in his hand. Still, you refused to look up.

“Princess,” He said once again, nudging your shoulder, “Drink up.” 

You looked up slowly with watery, red eyes. Big tears streamed down your face as your lips quivered. As much as you tried to hide it, the bruises on your neck had deepened to a dark shade of purple. 

Liebgott’s usual, bitchy face had softened. He sat next to you on the rock as you fell onto his shoulder, concealing the sobs that emerged from your mouth. He put a hand on the side of your face and chest and sat them, running circles as you hid your tears. 

Webster had walked back to see the commotion and was given a death stare by Liebgott to leave the two of you alone. 

He made a mental note to check in with you later. 

\-----------

Once again, you had been injured. It was a hit and run at the wrong place and wrong time. You were lucky, it was only sharpel in your heel bone and fragments in your ankle. It was painful, but you managed to get through the worst of it. Doc Roe had said you had done something to your achilles tendon, but you refused to leave. If you could walk with a limp, it would be fine. Roe ordered you to stay in the infamy for a few days and rest your heel. 

It was another day as you sat with a French book, your heel lifted up a pillow. You saw other men, who were injured, walk around the house that was being used as an infirmary. However, it had become much busier. There was more blood, screaming, and crying. You tried to look away, but every time you heard someone scream for their mother, it pained you.

“Commin’ though,” Roe’s cajun accent echoed in the room. His distinct voice got closer to your room, and so did the little grunts. He walked into your room with two soldiers, an injured one and another one helping me assist the injured one. “Right ‘ere ‘s good. Careful.” 

Looking over, it was Liebgott. Blood was spilling out of the side of his neck and mouth. The two of you made eyecoact as you pushed yourself out of bed and limped out. 

Roe spilled all of the material in his bag as he applied pressure on his wound, which was spilling more blood by the minute. 

“Doc, what happened?” You asked as you took a seat. 

“Shrapnel, it’s in his neck. It’s killing him.” Roe confirmed, pulling out his scissors and tweezers.

“What can I do to help? I’ll do anything.” 

Roe looked up at you as he cut Liebgott’s collar down, “Uh…” He nudged his head for you to sit, “Keep him talking. I gotta know if he’s breathing.” 

Breathing. The night of you and Liebgott in the moonlight had flashed back, when he made you promise that the two of you would survive. He held his hands in yours, begging for an answer. It took you a while to realize that he was declaring his love. After two years of teasing and nicknames, you finally realized that your love was not unrequited. You were going to keep your promise and his promise. For Liebgott. 

As Roe began to cut open his skin, you moved closer to Liebgott, who’s eyes were beginning to close. 

“Liebgott?” You asked, gently smacking his cheek. His tired eyes opened as he looked over at you with a faint smile. “It’s me.” 

“I know it's you,” He hacked up some blood, “I’m glad you're here.” 

“I am too. Just look at me, ok?” 

Liebgott bit his lip as Doc cut an inch of his skin, preparing to take the Shrapnel out. Blood was everywhere. Liebgott took a deep inhale, which resulted in him spitting more blood out. 

“Hey, I said eyes on me. You’re all good. Everything’s where it's supposed to be,” You softly said, wiping a piece of hair away from his face. You were beginning to lose him, and it was a slow painful process. 

Liebgott’s fingers curled up on the thin blanket as Doc grabbed his tweezers, ready to pull out the piece. You saw his hand struggle before grabbing it, one hand holding it and another on top. 

“Come on, stay awake for me. I’m the worst girl in the world, right?” 

“Fuckin’ hell you are.” He wryly admitted in his pain. Roe had begun to slowly pull the shrapnel out as Liebgott let out a pained moan. “You’re making it….better….” 

Roe had pulled out the piece and put it into a tray, “It came out in one piece. Jus’ keep him awake, I gotta stitch him up.” Roe patted Liebgott’s hair, “Look at y/l/n for me. You told me you liked her face.”

You looked at Roe and back at Liebgott with his head turned to you. He had a bloody smile as he squeezed your hand. 

“You find her pretty, right Liebgott?” Roe asked as he held a needle in his mouth, preparing the yarn. 

“Beyond.” Liebgott breathed as he removed his hand from yours to put in on your cheek. You didn’t care if he left a bloody handprint. All you did was smile, letting a tear stream. “She’s my worst girl in the world.” 

Roe made eye contact with you, tilting his head for you to keep him busy as he closed his wound. 

“I am. I’m the worst girl in the world, idiot.” You confirmed, “Remember that night? We got our jump wings? We got away from the crowd and onto that balcony with all the flowers and the moon?” 

“It was so bright that night…” Liebgott followed along, “You looked beautiful with that makeup and your hair all done up. You still do.” 

“I asked you what you would think about before you died. The last thing on your mind. You remember it?” You asked, holding his hand on your cheek. 

“I ain’t gonna die.” He assured, “No. I’m not gonna. Neither are you.” 

“Good, you’re right. For once. Tell me-you remember what you also wanted to tell me that night?” 

“I love you.” 

“You mean loved?”

“No, I love you, y/n. I always have, always will.” Liebgott had confessed, “I thought you were smart enough to see it.”  
  


It took him two years to call you by your name, at last. 

“It took me a while. Those nicknames, you were teasing me.” You softly smiled. “I thought you were some asshole at first. But you had a crush.” 

“I mean, who wouldn’t have a crush on you?’ Liebgott remarked, “Your every man’s dream. I wanted you to be mine, even if things went south. You didn’t want it, but I...couldn’t stop. I cared about you, and I still do.” 

You sat there in silence. Liebgott had gone from your bully, to a friend, and to someone who was deeply in love with you. Trying to formulate words, you simply couldn't’ You looked down at him, his hand resting on your check, with a smile. Just like Liebgott, you were in love too. 

Knotting the stitch, Doc Roe let out a sigh. “You’re gonna be okay. Just rest up.” He looked at you getting up to go back to your bed since you wanted Liebgott to rest, “Thank you, y/n. You saved him.” 

“No, I didn’t. You did.” You remarked as you wiped your eyes. Tears had fallen, and you didn’t even realize it. As Roe wiped his hands, he looked at Liebgott, who was slowly breathing with closed eyes. “A woman’s touch...it heals people. ‘specially from a loved one.” 

\-----------

Joe fluttered his eyes open. His body was sore, and his neck ached. All the pain that he had been feeling that disappeared when he saw you. You sat in a chair across from here, reading a book. Of course you were reading. Joe softly smiled as he reached his hand over the book to grab your attention. 

“Hey,” Liebgott called as he put the book onto the table. 

“Hi,” You replied, “You’re awake.” 

“Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” Liebgott admired, scanning your body. Your hair was done up in a messy braid with little pieces sticking out. Your skin was covered in dirt and scabs, but you were still beautiful. From Toccoa, to Albdounre, to now. 

“I guess I am.” You sighed, nodding. You tapped your fingers against your thigh before looking back, “I should go. Doc says you need rest.” 

Before you could escape and embarrass yourself, Liebgott grabbed your hand, pulling you to sit on the edge of his bed. 

“No, stay.” Liebgott demanded, his thighs brushing against the small of your back. “You’re makin me feel better.” 

You smiled, shaking your head. “Jesus christ. Go from calling me the worst girl in the world to confessing your love on your deathbed.” 

He smirked back at you, despite the pain in the lower part in his face. “Yeah, the worst girl in the world who saved me.” 

“Never thought I’d hear those words come outta’ your mouth two years ago.” You chuckled. Looking at his neck to see the blood staining the gauze and pad, using your hand to tenderly move his chin. “Does it hurt?”

Liebgott nuzzled into the soft touch of your hand, “Not anymore.”

“Are you gonna keep me trapped here?” You sarcastically asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. The way Liebgott let out a soft sigh as he rested in your hand made your heart flutter. 

“Yes, because I love you.” He confirmed. 

“Well, I love you too.” You confessed. 

You and Liebgott locked eyes. Shit, the two of you idiots were in love with each other all along. But after countless fights, here the two of you sat, your hand on Liebgott’s face. You told yourself over and over that you would never succumb to someone such as himself, arrogant and misongtyicy. But behind all of that was a different man. A softer man, someone who cried and laughed, someone you truly loved. Joe Liebgott, much to your disbelief, was your first and true love. 

Your hand slipped from Liebgott’s face into your hands. He placed a kiss on, his finger running across your knuckles. “Y/n?”

“Yes, Joe?” You looked up from your hand to him once again. That was the first time you had also used his first name and the second him he used yours. 

“When we get home, let me take you on a date in Frisco. I’ll show you around the city and take you to the best restaurant. We’ll go to Lombard street, you’ll wear a pretty dress, it’ll be nice.” He promised as he looked at your bare ring finger, “And I’ll getcha a ring, too.”

“A ring?” You breathed, “Sounds a little sudden. But I wouldn’t mind going with you, Joe. Of course. I will…” 

“There’s a nice house in the Pacific Heights as well. Big, lots of rooms. Y’know, for the Liebgotts.” 

“Jesus christ, how long have you been planning out your future?” 

“Since I looked at you, Liebling.” Joe pulled you closer to him, his hand on the small of your back. He moved stray pieces of hair out your face. “The hardest’s ones to catch are the sweetest prey. I’ll tell Pa I finally caught one of my own.” 

You sat with Joe for the next hour, reading the book you had entertained yourself with. He kept a hand securely on your thigh as he let you read in French in your angelic voice. Although not a native speaker, Joe loved the way you spoke with poise. You were beautiful, inside and out. Every little thing you did was magical. Joe ran his fingers, drawing mindless circles on your thigh. He couldn’t wait for more magical moments with you, in the present and in the future.


End file.
